St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-16
FLOWERS FOR RENT.
How Many Houses Are Decorated
For Receptions and Parties.

Along the Seventh street side of the
market on Il pleasant morning are a
number Of small stands containing pot.
ted plants of different varieties, includ-
ing the fragrant heliotrope, mignonette
and lemon verbena, the delicate poised
fuchSia, climbing naSturtium with it's
delicate blossoms, sweet alySSium, the
ladies fav0rite bachelors buttons, can
mas, Rex begonia, colathium, geraniums
of every known variety, lobeliaS. day
lilies, and last, but not least, Mrs.
Cleveland'S fayOrte plant, the panSy,
with It's Yelvety petals. From early
dawn to midday the proprietOrs of these
stands are on duty catering to their Gus
toners, and it is not alone in the ranks
of the wealthy that patrons abound
Talking with one of the stand owners
the other day GLOBE reporter learned
that his principal source of revenue
came from the working classes. who
were very fond of having a few plants
III their windows to give more home
like and cheerful appearance to their
abiding places.
But there is not such demand by
one-third as there was at the CORE
spending season last year, said the
dealer. Prices hold up well however,
and the pansy, which is very popular,
can be obtained at the rate of 80 cents a
dozen; fuchSias range ali the way from
cents up to $3.50 according to the size
of the plants; daylilieS command from
80 cents to $3.50 apiece; verbenas
bring IS cents dozen. and roses and
geraniumS, always in demand, obtain
good prices which pay us to continue
their propagation. One source of reve-
nue. Is the renting of plants for decora-
tive purposes at parties and
RECEPTIONSIN PRIVATE HOUSES,
for we do not cater much to the hotels
in these respects, there being no money
IN them. When gentleman is going
TO have party at his house, it is Gus
tOmary for him to send an order to a
greenhouse for the ported plants and
towering stems that he wants and we
charge him SO much a pot for each piece.
Palms, ferns, rose trees and all the
hardy large varieties command
from p cents up for tenn
porary use, and. often the party
forgetS to return them to the green
houses. There is no particular plant in
demand so far as know, but anything
that our taste may dictate is acceptable
to the host, and we usually give salts
faction to our patrons. 1t is somewhat
late in the season and the hot weather
requires us to be very careful with our
plants, so that new stock is put in the
market every day. For instance, the
plants that we fail to dispose of to-day
are taken back to the greenhouse and
given a rest and Sustenance, sometimes
for week before again being offered
for sale, and a large surplus must nee
esSarily be maintained.
Cut flowers will not last long after
being taken from the parent stem or
water pot now, and hence we do not
carry very large supply, but leave
that feature of the trade to the hotel
stands.
Jacqueminots, Mareschal Neils, Amer
lean Beauty, the Bride, named after
Mrs. Cleveland, Perle lie Jardin and
Cornelia Cook roses are favoriteS with
the ladies for cOrsage bouquets, and the
supply is hardly equal to the demand
made daily by flower lovers of st. Paul